Top 10 – Stress Busting Tips

Stress. The single most feared word. It’s stressful even thinking about it. Did you know Forbes voted Event Management as the 5th most stressful job in the world? It’s no wonder, given all the deadlines, multi-tasking, pressure and responsibility we have on our shoulders.

Your heart pounds, your breathing quickens, your muscles tense. You are in ‘flight or fight’ mode. This is fine in small doses, but when prolonged over a period of time it can take its toll. In our latest Top 10 series, we look at the best ways to reduce your stress.

1. Keep active

Exercise is a natural stress reliever. In numerous studies exercise has been shown to increase both serotonin production and release. Serotonin, our ‘happy hormone’, uses up excess levels of the stress hormones which are constantly being produced when you are feeling under pressure. A stroll outside, a brisk walk or a long run – it doesn’t really matter what form of exercise, just that you do it.

2. Have some ‘me’ time

No, this doesn’t mean you have to sit at home by yourself watching a film and eating a (healthy) dinner. It simply means doing what makes you happy. This might be seeing friends or spending some time by yourself, but ensure you set aside ‘me’ time to make yourself relax and have fun. Evenings (after work) are a good time to do this, to take your mind off a long day.

3. Eat healthy

Food choices have a huge impact on how you feel during the day. It’s suggested that eating small, frequent and healthy meals can help your body maintain an even level of blood sugar. This results in a stabilisation of your energy levels and keeps your focus up. 90% of headaches are caused by dehydration. Ensure you drink plenty of water. Stress is very strongly related to an imbalance of minerals in your body caused through unhealthy eating and dehydration.

4. Talk to your manager

You might think it’ll make no difference, but what’s the worst that could happen? Highlighting your stress and identifying the reasons why you are stressed to your manager at the very least makes them aware of the situation. You may find they reallocate work elsewhere, give you extra time off or bring in external assistance to relieve your stress.

5. Maximise your sleep

It’s been scientifically proven that lack of sleep interferes with your productivity during the day. In fact, it hinders your creativity, ability to focus and creativity, let alone your state of mind. The better rested your body finds itself, the better equipped it’ll be to cope with workload and stress and perform to it’s maximum.

6. Resist being a perfectionist and trying to control the uncontrollable

“There’s no such thing as perfection” is what they say. Unrealistic goals instantly set yourself up for a short fall. Do the job, do it well, but unless absolutely necessary, does it really have to be “perfect”? Many aspects of our work are uncontrollable. It’s easy to fall in the trap of allowing these things to control your stress levels, however try and focus on the things you can control such as the way you react to issues. Or, perhaps look to outsource – Hippo offer a Free Global Venue Finding service, which takes the pressure off you whilst saving your money!

7. Look for humour in situations

When used appropriately, humour is a great way to relieve stress. Laughing produces endorphins; the hormone that makes you feel good. When you, or those around you, start taking situations too seriously, find a way to make light of it by sharing a joke or funny story.

8. Put things into perspective

Remember the important things in life and do not let yourself get carried away with stresses. Change the way you think about your work situation and remember to leave your emotional baggage in the office. Remember, it’s just a job. Don’t take it home with you, switch off email and phone alerts when you’re at home.

9. Take breaks and relax

Even if you’re strapped for time, remember to take your lunch break. They’re there for a reason, and that reason is because you need time away from work. “Stress actually closes off the more creative parts of our cognitive processes and also distorts our perception of time,” says Gary Wood, psychologist, life coach and author. “The temptation is to work without breaks. The reality is that it depletes our resources and we process things more slowly and make more mistakes. The brain likes breaks.”

10. Make lists

A simple suggestion, but this helps provide a visual of the tasks at hand. Create your list to contain three boxes: job that’s need to be done today, this week and this month. Concentrate on the today jobs, and reassess the following morning when updating your list. This helps separate all jobs into priorities and reduce the overwhelming feeling.

Take some of the stress out of organising your event and see if Hippo can help! Contact Us for any event requirements here – we’re here to help. Hippo.